Nanaimo Clippers
The Nanaimo Clippers were a senior, intermediate, and junior team. The senior team won the Okanagan Mainline League in 1950-51 and the Pacific Coast Senior League in 1951-52. They won the British Columbia Senior Championships in 1950-51 and entered the 1950-51 Western Canada Allan Cup Playoffs. The intermediate team won the British Columbia Intermediate Championship in: *1940-41 *1941-42 *1943-44 *1948-49 *1955-56 They won the Western Canada Intermediate Playoffs in 1941-42. The junior team won the British Columbia Junior Championship in 1945-46. These are the records of the current junior team in the British Columbia Hockey League: –73 | arena = Frank Crane Arena | colours = Orange, silver, black, white | coach = Mike Vandekamp | GM = Mike Vandekamp | website = | name1 = Nanaimo Clippers | dates1 = 1972–82 | name2 = Esquimalt Buccaneers | dates2 = 1982–83 | name3 = Nanaimo Clippers | dates3 = 1983–present }} The Nanaimo Clippers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Coastal Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at Frank Crane Arena. Franchise history The Nanaimo Clippers won the league championship in the 1976 playoffs but lost by default for the Mowat Cup (Provincial Championship). The Clippers were once again league champions in 1978 when the Penticton Vees refused to play the balance of the series (citing rough play – the series stood at 2 games to 1). The Merritt Centennials were earlier chosen to represent the league for the 1978 CAHA Championships. The Nanaimo Clippers folded after the 1982 season, but were started up again before the 1983 season as the Esquimalt Buccaneers. The franchise was moved to Nanaimo early in the 1983 season, playing at the Nanaimo Civic Arena, and renamed the team the Nanaimo Clippers. In 1998, the Clippers hosted the Royal Bank Cup getting 3 wins and a loss in round-robin play. The Clippers entered the semi-finals as the 2nd seed, behind the South Surrey Eagles also of the BCHL. The Weyburn Red Wings were the Clippers' opponent in the semi-final and defeated them by a score of 4–1, South Surrey went on to win the National Championship. March 13, 2004, marked one of the strangest playoff games in all of hockey history with the Clippers playing in the final game of their first-round league playoff series against the Powell River Kings. With 80 seconds left in the third period and the score tied 3-3 in Game 7 at Nanaimo, the Powell River goalie left his crease and froze the puck for a whistle. Under league rules, the goalie was guilty of delay of game. But instead of calling a two-minute penalty, the referee incorrectly awarded a penalty shot. Nanaimo scored and won the game, 4–3. Powell River protested and league officials agreed to cover all costs for fixing the mistake. The Kings went back to Nanaimo on March 16 to replay the final 1:20 of the third period, with the score tied at 3–3. Powell River started a man short for the delay-of-game penalty but neither team scored in regulation. Just 54 seconds into overtime, Nanaimo captain Michael Olson scored the game-winning goal in front of a packed house of hometown fans, some of whom had felt their team had been wronged and some who thought it was a good chance to end things the right way. The Clippers went on to have a fairly easy road in the playoffs, beating Chilliwack 3-1 in a best-of-five series, Surrey 4-0 in a best-of-seven semifinal and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-1 in the best-of-seven championship final. After taking the BCHL Championship, the Clippers went on to oust the Grande Prairie Storm for the Doyle Cup, earning themselves a berth in the Royal Bank Cup. On April 16, 2007, the Clippers won the Fred Page Cup by defeating the Vernon Vipers three to two in game six of the BCHL finals. The winning goal was scored by Tyler Mazzei with 36 seconds remaining in the third period at the Vernon Multiplex. As of March 2017, the Nanaimo city council approved a referendum for the construction of a $88 million dollar arena to help solidify a potential Western Hockey League team, either by relocation or expansion, possibly forcing the Clippers to either relocate to another market or fold. The referendum was on March 11 and was rejected by 80% of those voting. The Clippers' owners in doing their due diligence had looked for and found another city and buyer for the team on the Island. On March 16 they held a news conference and gave a two-week deadline for the sale of the team to a local person or group. If they are unable to sell or move the team, the team will go dark. Dark meaning that the owners would retain the franchise but not operate a team next season. However, the team was added new ownership and the Clippers Hockey Society was formed in April of 2017 to help raise funds to make the team self sufficient and community owned. NHL alumni * Greg C. Adams * Byron Bitz * Mel Bridgman * Paul Cyr * Tony Feltrin * Wade Flaherty * Jason Garrison * Tanner Glass * Colin Greening * Al Hill * Matt Irwin * Steve Kariya * Terry Kleisinger * Rick Lapointe * David LeNeveu * Gary Lupul * John Newberry * Ryan O'Byrne * Barry Pederson * Ken Priestlay * Geordie Robertson * Torrie Robertson * Mark Rycroft * Raymond Sawada Season-by-season record See also * List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia External links * Category:British Columbia Hockey League teams Category:Canadian ice hockey teams Category:British Columbia Junior Hockey Category:Okanagan Mainline League teams Category:Vancouver Island Senior League teams Category:Pacific Coast Senior League teams